Disc playing apparatus with two chassis and movable disc guides

Abstract

A disc playing apparatus is disclosed, which is simple, small in size and can be manufactured at a low cost of manufacture. In this disc playing apparatus, a first chassis with left and right movable guides and a second chassis with a disc drive and a playing unit are linked together such that they can be brought toward and away from each other. The movable guides are separated from a disc when the two chassis are brought toward each other, and are brought to a position to engage with the disc when the two chassis are brought away from each other. A selective close/away holding mechanism holds the two chassis in a close-to-each-other state or an away-from-each-other state. The two chassis are brought toward each other when the disc is inserted while pushing the selective close/away holding mechanism. The disc is pushed by the mechanism when the two chassis are brought away from each other by an eject lever.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A disc playing apparatus comprising: a disc insertion/take-out slot into which a disc is manually inserted toward a playing position through a path of the movement of the disc in the apparatus;   a first chassis comprising a pair of movable guides movable between a first position in which said guides are engageable with the outer edge of the disc for guiding the disc so as to be moved from said slot to said playing position and a second position in which said guides are released from the edge of the disc;   a second chassis comprising a disc drive for driving the rotation of said disc in the playing position and a playing unit for reproducing data recorded on the disc, said playing unit being operable with the disc in the playing position;   a coupling mechanism coupling the first and second chassis to each other such that the two chassis can be moved between a close-to-each-other state in which said pair of movable guides are located in said second position and an away-from-each-other state in which said pair of movable guides are located in said first position;   a first spring means for urging the first and second chassis toward said close-to-each-other state;   an eject lever biased in one direction by a second spring means and movable against the biasing force of said second spring means in another direction opposite said one direction to cause the first and second chassis to move from the close-to-each-other state to the away-from-each-other state;   a selective close/away holding mechanism for selectively holding the first and second chassis in the close-to-each-other state and away-from-each-other state, the selective close/away holding mechanism comprising: a lock lever means biased by a third spring means to a locking position in which said first and second chassis are locked against the biasing force of said first spring means in said away-from-each-other state, and movable from said locking position by engaging with the edge of the disc when the disc is manually moved to said playing position thereby allowing said first spring means to move said first and second chassis to said close-to-each-other state; and   separating means for holding said lock lever means against the biasing force of said third spring means so as to be slightly separated from the disc;     wherein said coupling mechanism comprises a prohibiting means for prohibiting the restoration of said eject lever by the biasing force of said second spring means, thereby holding the eject lever in a depressed position when the eject lever is moved in said another direction, said prohibiting means being inoperative when said lock lever means is moved from said locking position, thereby allowing the restoration of the eject lever towards said one direction;   wherein said lock lever means is allowed to move back to said locking position by the biasing force of said third spring means, wherein said first and second chassises are moved to the away-from-each-other state, thereby engaging the lock lever means with the edge of the disc so that the disc is pushed back by the biasing force of said third spring means from said playing position towards said disc insertion/take-out slot, whereby the disc is able to be taken out from the apparatus through the disc insertion/take-out slot.   
     
     
       2. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playing unit performs data reproduction with the disc partly exposed out of the apparatus. 
     
     
       3. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said disc insertion/take-out slot has a central portion having a sufficiently large dimension in the disc thickness direction compared to the thickness of the disc. 
     
     
       4. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock lever means has a brake portion made of a soft material to be in contact with the disc. 
     
     
       5. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second chassis are linked together by the coupling mechanism such that they can be brought toward and away from each other while they are held substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
       6. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first chassis is secured in position in the apparatus, and the second chassis can be brought toward and away from the first chassis. 
     
     
       7. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second chassis are pivoted on one side thereof to each other for pivotal movement by a predetermined angle range by the coupling mechanism. 
     
     
       8. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first chassis is secured in position in the apparatus, and the second chassis is pivoted with respect to the first chassis. 
     
     
       9. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second chassis is secured in position in the apparatus, and the first chassis is pivoted with respect to the second chassis. 
     
     
       10. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of movable guides have brake portions made of a soft material to be in contact with the disc. 
     
     
       11. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the eject lever, when moved in said another direction, turns off a disc drive on-off control switch, then moves the pair of movable guides toward said first position and moves the first and second chassis toward said away-from-each-other state and, when the disc is inserted, the eject lever is moved in said one direction to cause the movement of the first and second chassis from the away-from-each-other state to the close-to-each-other state, thereby moving the pair of movable guides toward said second position and then turning on the switch. 
     
     
       12. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said disc drive comprises a turntable to be rotated with the disc thereon and a motor for driving the turntable for rotation, the first chassis being in a substantially upper position in relation to the second chassis and comprising a clamp having an upper outer flange portion for clamping the disc in cooperation with the turntable;   the pair of movable guides having clamp holders which support said flange portion from the underside;   said clamp holders being brought away from said flange portion when the pair of movable guides are moved toward said second position, thereby allowing said clamp to cooperate with said turntable; and   said clamp holders being brought toward said flange portion, when the pair of movable guides are moved toward said first position, thereby bringing the clamp away from the turntable.   
     
     
       13. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said clamp holders have muffling portions made of a soft material to be in contact with the clamp. 
     
     
       14. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a disc fly-out prevention spring having a portion which is projected onto the path of the movement of the disc, thereby preventing excessive fly-out of the disc when the disc is pushed back by the biasing force of said third spring means. 
     
     
       15. The disc playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the disc loading and unloading operations are accomplished without the aid of a motor.